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Named after Woodford County in Kentucky through the influence of emigrants from that county. Woodford County, Kentucky, was named in honor of William Woodford (1734–1780), a General from Virginia during the American Revolutionary War. He served in the French and Indian War as an ensign in Colonel George Washington's Virginia Regiment and served in the Cherokee expedition under William Byrd and Adam Stephen. Woodford was promoted to brigadier general in February 1777. He was wounded later that year at the Battle of Brandywine. In 1778 he led his brigade at the Battle of Monmouth where he took control of Comb's Hill and with artillery was able to pound the British left flank. In late 1779 he and his brigade were sent to join the Southern army, only to be captured at the Siege of Charleston in 1780. He was sent to New York, where he died on board a British prison ship later that year.

Present area, or parts of it, formerly included in

Eastern Part

1831–1841 — McLean

1827–1831 — Tazewell

1821–1827 — Fayette

1819–1821 — Clark

1816–1819 — Crawford

1815–1816 — Edwards

Western Part

1827–1841 — Tazewell

1825–1827 — Peoria

1821–1825 — Sangamon

1817–1821 — Bond

1812–1817 — Madison

1801–1812 — St. Clair

1790–1801 — Knox, Northwest Territory

County Seats

1841–1843 — Versailles – Temporary designation.

1843–1894 — Metamora—Named Hanover until February 21, 1845.

1894–present — Eureka

History of county governing board

1841–1849 — County Commissioners’ Court

1849–1855 — County Court

1855–present — County Board of Supervisors

Township Government

Adopted — November 7, 1854

Township Names

Cazenovia

Clayton

Clayton and Linn were originally attached and treated as one township (date of separation unknown).

Cruger — Formed from Olio on September 14, 1869

El Paso — Formed from Palestine in September, 1861.

Greene

Kansas — Formed from Palestine in September, 1859.

Linn

Linn and Clayton were originally attached and treated as one township (date of separation unknown).

Metamora

Minonk

Minonk and Panola were originally attached and treated as one township (date of separation unknown).

Montgomery

Olio

Palestine

Panola

Panola and Minonk were originally attached and treated as one township (date of separation unknown).